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I remember thinking it was pretty cool that he was going to be on the mound to close out the world series in 2011, but... well, yeah, that didn't work out. Maybe it would have been different if Washington had left him in.

Each of the past 6 years or so, the first time Darren Oliver came in to pitch against the Red Sox on the year, I was surprised that he was still pitching. Then I would look at his stats and see that he was still pitching well. I guess that won't be happening anymore.

Too bad he couldn't match Urban Faber's mark of six straight years of improved ERA+ to finish his career (he had improved for five straight years heading into 2013). It was still a hell of a late-career run considering he washed out of the game at 34.

I can't believe I remember this, but I do. From SI's October 4, 1993 issue:

Least Memorable Big League Debut. On Sept. 1, Ranger reliever Darren Oliver's first pitch, to Mike Greenwell, went to the screen, but he was not charged with a wild pitch because Billy Hatcher of the Red Sox stole second base on the play. Then Oliver was told to intentionally walk Greenwell. After doing that, he was taken out of the game. Oliver's stat line: one pitch (deliveries leading to an intentional walk aren't included in the official pitch count) and one walk. Oliver said after the game, "Home plate looked like it was 100 miles away." He hasn't pitched since.

I'm so old; I still think of Oliver as a perpetual rookie trying to overcome injuries. The Rangers eased him into a full-time pitching role, and for all I know his ultimate longevity is not a coincidence.

The beginning of Oliver's career pre-dates the strike. How many guys are left? A-Rod is one.

Hold on a minute...

Maybe this is why MLB is trying to push ARod into retirement/banishment.
Maybe Bud Selig is retiring at the end of 2014 because he wants to have the last laugh and say he outlasted all of the sonofabitch players that wished him ill-will during the strike.